Ancient History Sparta

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The most impressive building located in the hills; formed part of the sanctuary of Athena Chalkiokos (Lady of the Bronze House)

Agiads

One of the two royals families at Sparta (monarchical feature of the Spartan political system)

Agoge

'a raising/ upbringing' Spartan education

Amyklaion

A shrine/ throne dedicated to Apollo and Hyakinthos

Athena Chalkioikos

Remains of the Temple of Athena Chalkioikos that stood on the acropolis at Sparta were discovered in the course of excavation of the area in 1926-27. The temple was built according to Pausanias, by the Spartan sculptor and architect, Gitiades

Bibasis

Exercise performed by Spartan women

Demos

The people

Delphic Oracle

The Shrine at Delphi where the ancient Greeks consulted a priestess for advice or a prophecy from the gods

Democracy

Rule by the people

Dorians

A sub-group of Greeks

Dowries

Property or money brought by a bride to her husband upon their marriage

Ekklesia

Assembly of all male Spartan citizens over thirty years of age (democratic element of the Spartan political system)

Ephorate/ephors

The group of five men, elected by the Assembly to supervise the kings; elected each year (limited democratic feature of the Spartan political system)

Erastai

'lovers', older male patrons of adolescent young men; generally nineteen or twenty years of age

Eugenics

The science of improving offspring; Spartan women were entrusted to conceive genetically superior Spartan children

Eunomia

'Good order', the Spartan name for their way of life (constitution)

Enomatia

Four files of men; equal to a platoon; part of the Spartan army

Eurotas

River that provided Sparta's water supply

Eurypontids

One of the two Spartan royal families

Gerontes

Elders, older men

Gerousia

Council of twenty-eight men, over the age of sixty and the two kinds (oligarchic element of the Spartan political system)

The Great Rhetra

Constitution on how Sparta was to be governed; oral instructions on how Sparta was to be organised; Plutarch notes that the law giver Lycurgus received the laws from the Delphic Oracle; modern historians believe that it evolved naturally.

Gymnopaedia

A religious festival that included athletic competitions and musical events held in July

Hegemon

The 'leader' of a group of peoples, as Sparta was to various Greek poleis

Helots

The inhabitants of the fertile Messenian plain who were enslaved by the Spartans; enslaves peoples who were tied to the land they worked

Herakleidai

The descendants of Herakles, the Spartans

Homoioi

The 'equals', full make citizens of Sparta; also known as Spartiates

Hopla

Arms, weapons

Hoplite

Heavy armed foot soldier

Hyakinthia

Religious festival held in early summer in Amyckae and lasted for three days

Hypomeiones

Inferiors

Karneia

Religious festival held in August and was a festival of food in order to celebrate the return of the sons of Heracles

Kleros (plural Kleroi)

Farmland allotted to each Spartan citizen. This land was worked by helots, leaving the Spartiates free to devote their time to public and military affairs

Kome

Village, settlement

Krypteia

Spartan youths who formed a 'secret police' to harass and terrorise helots

Lochos

Two pentekostyses; battalion in the Spartan army

Laconia/ Lakedaimonia

Names given to the countryside around Sparta. Spartans were also known as Laconais or Lakedaimonias

Libation

The pouring of wine or oil onto the ground as an offering to a god or hero

Menelaion

A shrine of Helen and Menelaus which overlooked Mount Taygetus and the Eurotas Valley

Messenia

The fertile territory over the mountains to the west of Sparta

Mora

A regiment in the army; there were six morai in use from the 5th century BC

Mothax

A non-Spartan companion who participated in the Spartan education

Neodamodeis

'New citizen men', liberated helots

Oba

Possibly an area, locality

Oligarchy

Rule by a few

Paidonomos

Supervisor of the education of Sparta children

Partheniai

Children of un-married mothers a group without recognition as Spartans

Peloponnese

The southern peninsula of Greece which is joined to the mainland by the Isthmus of Corinth

Pentekostys

Four platoons or enomatiai; company of men; part of the Spartan

Perioikoi

'Dwellers round about.' Neighbouring Dorian communities allied to Sparta but of lesser status then Spartan citizens. Self-governing except for Spartan army when requested

Phalanx

Formation of infantry involving soldiers standing in rows with overlapping shields and using spears as weapons

Phoinikis

Spartan red cape

Polis

City- state

Polygamy

The practice or condition of having more than one spouse at one time

Pythia

Priestess of Apollo

Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia

Situated close to the Eurotas River and was the site of the festival held in Artemis Orthia's honour

Spartiates

Full Spartan citizens

Syssition

Spartan mess; communal dining of the evening meal for Spartan men to reinforce community and masculinity; dining club

Tresas

Coward

Tribon

Plain cloak worn daily by Spartans

Tyranny

An illegitimate monarchy

Alcman

7th century poet who wrote choral odes for festivals. Gives idea of Sparta before Great Rhetra, and focuses on nature

Tyrataeus

7th century poet who wrote war poetry and discusses the role of the hoplite and Spartan

Herodutus

Wrote in 400BCE. Critical of spartan government and constitution. Detailed spartan battles in his Histories

Thucydides

Wrote in 460-400BCE. Admired Sparta's eunomia, and wrote about forgein policy. Detailed conflicts between Sparta and Athens in History of the Peloponnesian War

Xenothon

Athenian who lived in Sparta and admired their military, laws and social structure. Gave detail of Lycurgan reforms in Constitution of the Lacedaemonians

Aristotle

Greek philosopher who was critical of Sparta's constitution

Pausanias

Wrote in 200 BCE after 'fall' of Sparta. Wrote a 'travel guide' to Sparta, detailing its landscape and architecture in Description of Greece

Plutarch

Wrote in 1st century AD. Works include extracts from The Great Rhetra and Tyrataeus. Details political system, and social structure and is also critical of Lycurgus